Island



May 21, 1929. D. J. MAYER 1,713, 7

SCOURING DEVICE Filed April 10, 1928 ATTORNEY Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL J. MAYER, 0F BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO METAL TEXTILECORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

SCOURING DEVICE.

Application filed April 10, 1928.

This invention relates to an improved construc'tion of metallic scourlngdevlce 1n the form of a hand implement which is especially adapted toprovide a mild abradant for scraping, cleaning and polishing thesurfaces of utensils and other surfaces desired to be so treated.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a. novelconstruction ofadevice adapt ed to furnish a spheroidal abrasive massmade of metallic wire or a composite of metallic wire and textile yarnor other material so fabricated as to furnish amultiplicity of close- 1yassociated abrasive members or elements united together at and radiatingfrom a common center, to thereby produce the desired roughly spheroidalshape effectively retained against disintegrating, shredding, sloughingoff, and against other permanent deformation from its desired more orless compact initial shape; the device so made is readily conformable bypressure, however, to the surface to which it may be applied in use,while at the same time it provides a great multiplicity of scrapingedges adapted for operative contact with such surface when pressedagainst and rubbed over the same.

Other objects of this invention,not at this time more particularlyenumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detaileddescription of the same.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig.1 is a diagrammatic view in part section, illustrating the manner inwhich the material is looped on itself in the process of making thenovel scouring device of the instant invention; Fig.- 2 is anotherdiagrammatic view showing further advanced steps in the production ofthe novel scouring device; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the completescouring device; and Fig. 4 is an elevation of said scouring device.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above describedviews, to indicate corresponding parts.

In order to more clearly illustrate the essential characteristics of thefinished article embodying the construction and principles of theinstant inventioInI have shown in the drawings, in somewhat diagrammaticfashion, one method by which the article may be produced. The article isessentially made of metallic material. preferably in the form of flatribbon-like wire or wire of angular cross Serial No. 268,859.

sectional shape which is turned or twisted upon itself to provide aroughly spirally convolved strand or otherwise deformed to provide amultiplicity of lateral scraping edge projections or points such, forexample, as shown in Figure 1; or the strai'id or length of material mayconsist in a flexible carrying core of straight wire or textile yarnupon which is carried a convolved or gimped fiat metallic wire or wiresof angular cross-sectional shape adapted to provide a multiplicity oflateral scraping edge projections or points. Preferably the metallicmaterial employed is of a relatively non-corrosive character; forexample I, may use copper, both for its relatively non-corrosivecharacter as well as for its comparatively hard nature whereb itsscraping or abrading functions are ren ered more efficient.

In making up or assembling any of the forms of metallic material abovementioned to fabricate the same into the novel construction embodyingthe scouring device according to the principles of this invention, I mayutilize a pair of lateral spaced apart parallel supporting bars 1 aboutwhich I wind a suit able length of the metallic material to form amultiplicity of looped sections along the length of said bars 1.Extending longitudinally between the bars 1 is a lower guide-plate 2terminating at its outer end and beyond the free ends of said bars 1 inan upcurled gathering or bunching guide 3, which is provided with a slot4 therein for purposes to be subsequently explained. Arranged above andvertically spaced from said lower guide-plate 2 is an upper guide-plate5 which extends to- Ward the gathering or bunching guide 3. Said upperguide-plate 5 is provided with a longitudinal slot 5 entering at itsinner end for the reception and slidable guiding of a push-block 6movable through the space between the guide-plates 2 and 5; saidpushblock 6 havingan exterior knob 7 for manipulation of the same.

After the material is wound upon the bars 1 in frent of theguide-plates, it is pushed along the bars so as to enter the spaceintermediate the guide-plates. When a sufficient length of the thuswound material is mounted on the bars 1 and entered between the guideplates 2 and 5, the pushblock-6 is engaged with the upper guide-plate 5to move behind the material so asto en gage intermediate portions of thetransversely disposed loops thereof. The forward end of the push-bloek 6is transversely concave so as to aid in gathering together the centerportion of the loops of material, and it is also preferable that thefor-- ward end of the push-block 6 be provided with an indented slot 8to match the slot :4: of the gathering or bunching guide 3. Thepush-block 6 is forced outward to deliver the center portions of theloops of material into the gathering or bunching guide 3, whereby thesaid center portions are compactly bunched together with the free loopedends of the material removed from the bars 1 so as to radiate from thebunched center portions. WVhen these operations have been completed atie-w1re 9 is introduced through then removed from the gathering orbunching guide 3, whereupon the outwardly projecting loops of materialwill radiate from the bunched center portions in every direction, thusproducing a roughly spheroidal or balllike mass formed by a multiplicityof radially projecting members, whereupon the novel scouring device iscomplete.

\Vhile the above described method of fabricating the article provides aconvenient way of bringing the material together in the novel structuralform essential to the article of this invention, it will be understoodthat the same is illustrative only, and that any other convenient methodof producing the structure may be resorted to, or any other mechanicalaids employed to further its production.

Essentially, in simplest form, the novel scouring device of thisinvention comprises metallic material so formed as to provide throughoutits length a multiplicity of lateral scraping edge projections a; saidmaterial being looped upon itself to provide looped ends or arms I),and'then having its center portions gathered or bunched together andsecurely bound by the encircling binding wire (I, so that the'finishedarticle will provide a consolidated central portion or heart a fromwhich projects radially in every direction the looped ends or arms I).The radiating ends or arms I) being of substantially equal length, theresultant article will possess a ball-like or spheroidal contour, andyet, since the arms or ends Y) are free, i. e. unconnected except at thecenter or heart 6, a very pliable and conformable mass is provided whichretains its shape in use without tendency to shredding, sloughing, andwithout tendency to become attenuated or lose its generally ball-likebody conformation. At the same time, the body so formed and constructedwill readily flatten itself against a surface to which it is pressed andover which it is rubbed; since the ends or arms will readily displaceand dispose themselves under the applied pressure when pressed andrubbed over a surface to be cleaned, scoured or the like, a multiplicityof the scraping edge projections a, will etliciently attack the surfaceso as to quickly remove dirt, encrustations, grease or the liltetherefrom by the cleansing or scouring abrasion thus ailorded.

I find that a very advantageous form of the novel scouring devicestructure is produced when made of material such as shown in Figure 4,wherein a carrying strand or core f of flexible wire or of textile yarnor other materialis provided with a gimping of preferably flat metallicwire to form the multiplicity of lateral scraping edge projections a.The thus gimped carrying strand or heart is laid in transverse loops toprovide the oppositely extending looped ends or arms b, and beforegathering the center portions of the loops together, the gimped metallicwire at such center portions is drawn outwardly and opposite ly tostretch the same and closely dispose the same around such centerportions in comparatively close hugging relation thereto, wherebyattenuated center portions 0 of greatly reduced cross-sectional area areprovided, so that when gathered or bunched together a much more solidlycompacted and smaller consolidated central portion or heart e isobtained whereby the radiating fully gimped free loop ends or arms I)may be more compactly grouped together, and consequently a greater totaldensity of the finished body is obtained. Another advantage of themetallic gimped carrying strand or core type of material is that thestrand or core f retains the radiating arms or ends 6 of the resultantde vice against undue stretching or elongation.

From the above description it will be obvious that I have provided aunique and yet very etiicient scouring device, which will be comfortableto the hand of the user, and yet so functions as to readily conformitself to a surface upon which it is pressed and rubbed. The novelscouring device will not splinter or slough off metal particles withattendant risk of injury to the hands of the user, and other undesirableconsequences.

Having thus described my invention, I claim I 1. A metallic gimpedcarrying strand looped upon itself and the center portions of saidstrand intermediate the free loop ends thereof being bunched togetherand secured 'to provide a consolidated central heart from which saidfree loop ends radiate in all directions to form a spheroidal body inwhich said central heart is substantially concealed by the radiatingloop ends.

2. A scouring device, comprising a flexible carrying strand, a gimpingof metallic material carried on said strand to provide a multiplicity oflateral scraping projections, said metallic gimped strand. being loopedupon itself, the metallic gimping on the center portions of said strandintermediate the free giinped strand radiate in all directions, and loopendsthereof being stretched more or a binding tie encircling andretaining said less tightly about said center portions to atcentralheart against disruption. 10 tenuate the latter, said attenuated centerpor- In testimony, that I claim the invention 5 tions being bunchedtogether to provide a set forth above I have hereunto set my handcompactly consolidated central heart from this 7th dayof April, 1928.which the free loop ends of said metallic DANIEL J. MAYER.

